


Wrong Direction

by OwlCatPtr



Category: Shaman King
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Gay Male Character, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-14
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2018-09-08 12:26:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8844958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OwlCatPtr/pseuds/OwlCatPtr
Summary: [High School AU] Yoh and the gang are in their senior year of high school, having a blast as friends do. Hao on the other hand gets mixed up in being good and bad, and is lost until a transfer student from London helps him find his direction in life.





	1. A Day At School

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! So this fic is actually 6 years old and being reposted with corrections cause...let's face it, 6 years ago we weren't the best spellers and used the wrong their/there/they're. If you haven't read it before, I truly hope you enjoy it!

The school bell rang, shaking Manta awake from his day dream. He usually never slept in class, that was his friend Yoh's job along with his just-as-carefree twin brother, Hao. Hopping out of his seat he made his way down the row to Yoh's table where the boy still had his head down and was in a deep slumber. After a few seconds of calmly calling Yoh's name, Manta tired his luck with Hao who sat right next to Yoh, but both were obviously not planning on waking up. The small boy sighed to himself and stepped aside as Anna made her way down the row of tables. 

This was always what Manta tried to get his friends away from, but when they were asleep, they were asleep and usually nothing could wake them...except Anna. She pulled up her school uniform sleeves and braced herself. Grabbing a satisfying amount full of hair from each boy she yanked hard, pulling them out of their seats. The empty classroom exploded with the noise of chairs falling and the complaints of the two.

"Oh pipe down boys! If you hadn't been sleeping AGAIN, then maybe you would have realized it was lunch time." Anna said, fixing her sleeves and grabbing her bag. She headed out, leaving them there on the floor to wake up.

Manta smiled at them and shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry guys, I tired to wake you before Anna did, but no luck." He set his bag down and helped put the room back together. Yoh smiled at him, reassuring him that it was okay. Yoh, for one knew how hard it was for people to wake him when he slept, so no pressure. Hao on the other hand did not look as forgiving. Like his brother, he knew he was a hard person to wake up, but he hated being bossed around by Anna and it never set well with him.

After a few more moments the guys set out down the hall to the lunch room. After getting in line for cheeseburgers and french fries they made their way over to their usual table. Horohoro, Ren, and Anna had already been seated when the rest of the gang arrived. Much of the chatter was about how boring the classes were and something about Horo and Ren getting caught in the bathroom by the janitor. Hao never payed much attention to their conversations. Though these were his friends, they were more appealing to Yoh. So Hao often counted them as his brothers friends, not so much his. 

He did have friends however, but they weren't the nicest people. Hao didn't care, he ruled over in that group and most people feared them. For Yoh's sake he stopped hanging out with them at school but often met up afterwords or sometimes in gym. There were times when he shared a laugh with this oddly crew. 

He's known Anna forever, and Horo and Ren became good friends with Yoh, so he accepted them; as well as Manta. Though oddly enough, he sometimes felt out of place. Yoh and Anna are a thing, thanks to a childhood promise that Yoh halfheartedly regrets, and Horo and Ren were just one of the many openly gay couples in the school. Manta came along with being at the school, so he never really mattered to Hao.

Yoh nudged his brother lightly. "Hao, you okay?" he asked through a bite of his cheeseburger.

Hao looked up at him and smiled. "Yeah, why?" he asked in return. Yoh motioned to the tray in front of him and Hao realized he hadn't been eating. "Oh," he started, "you can have it if you want. I'm not that hungry today." He pushed his tray over to Yoh who was all too happy to accept the school food.

Anna eyed Hao as he drifted off, staring out at everyone in the cafeteria. "Are you sure? You didn't eat breakfast this morning, you have to be a bit hungry." She said, grabbing the tray that he shoved aside, receiving a cry from Yoh.

Hao smiled and got to his feet, waving the tray away and pushing it back to Yoh. "I'm sure. I'll grab an apple if it makes you feel any better." After receiving a nod, he made his way to the lunch line and grabbed an apple. However, instead of returning to the table he made his way out of the lunchroom and to the staircase marked "D". Making sure no one was watching he pushed through the door and calmly walked up the stairs, throwing the apple up and catching it as he went along. Once he made it to the last floor he made his way into the hallway to a separate set of stairs that led to the roof. Hao knew the alarm had been busted since he and his crew were the ones to bust it, so he pushed the door open. 

Cool air caressed his face as he stepped out onto the pebbles that covered the floor. More or less, he'd hide out here for the rest of the day. Picking a spot towards the edge of the building he lay his head on his backpack and stared up at the sky. The day was hot since it was the beginning of the school year, but soon the days will turn cold and this spot might not be the best getaway. He heard the lunch bell ring from inside but he did not move. Soon enough sleep came to overwhelm him and he easily fell into it's comfort.

The feeling of vibration in Hao's pocket woke him from his sleep. He took the phone out of his pocket, it was a text. 'Where are you?' it read, 'The day is over in ten minutes and you haven't been in class since lunch!' It was from Yoh. A few sighs escaped him, but he soon gave in to the day, feeling satisfied that the school day was over anyways. Though now he'd have to deal with Anna once they got home, and he had high hopes that the school did not call his house to report him skipping. His mother and father would not be happy about that and even his grandparents would get involved. That house was too packed for his own liking, but it's his senior year, so what can the school make of it? Come May twelfth, him and Yoh will be eighteen, then no one can tell him what to do. He stood up, taking in some more of the warm sun blazing down, then gathered his belongings and made his way to the door.

A small muffled sound caught him, so he did not open the door. No one comes in this hallway, so who was it now...the principle? The dean? Oh, how he hated the both of them. Maybe it was some stupid couple making their way down the hall after skipping class in the bathroom. Again, no one comes down this hall, so it's an easy hide out. But no one dares to go out on the roof. Except for Hao. There was a thud, a small scream, and then laughter. Great, someone was being bullied and he didn't care enough to get involved, so he sat back down and peeked through a crack in the door. It was his gang. Great. The feeling still held itself, but now he was okay to walk out and not be bothered. Quietly opening the door and stepping out, he stood close to the wall so they wouldn't know where he came from.

Boris, Matilda, Kanna, and Marion stood in a circle, obviously tormenting another student, probably of a lower grade. Sometimes these friends were just as pathetic and boring as Yoh's group of friends. But Hao couldn't help but wonder who would be weak enough to get bullied by Boris and these three girls who were just plain weird. "Hey." Hao said as he approached the group. They all looked up alarmed as though caught by a teacher but relaxed once they saw their companion.

Kanna approached Hao with a smile and her hands on her hips. "Hey there, Hao! Long time no see. We hanging after school today or are you still playing nice to your brother?" she asked without hesitation. She waited for an answer but when she did not receive one she looked at him and followed his gaze to the still closed circle. "Oh, that?" she asked, pointing with her thumb. "It's just some new transfer student from London. We thought we'd give him a warm welcome." She made her way back to the group and motion for Hao to follow.

He did. They all moved aside to make room for him in the circle. Hao looked down on a scared figure, covering his head. Hao could make out the oddest green hair, but it didn't seem weird after hanging around Horohoro so much. "Get up." Hao said to the boy on the floor. Nothing happened. Obviously this boy was scared. Hao turned to his friends and motioned to the boy, "How long has he been in this school?" he asked. This was the first time he'd seen him and it's not hard to miss his hair.

"Today is his first day at the school, but I saw him with his parents yesterday while registering." Boris said with a matter-of-fact tone. Hao nodded. "We simply welcomed him to the school. Don't you remember how we used to do that? You haven't been around us in so long." Boris continued, obviously out to get Hao for the matter at hand.

Hao ignored Boris's "take of lead" act. He never really liked him to begin with. Boris was the shadow in the group, and now that Hao hasn't been around them and the rest as much, it was his time to shine. But the day was going to end any minute now and it was hot, so there was no time for arguments to show the shadow who is really the light. He turned back to the student still on the floor, but now he was looking up rather then shunning his face. His eyes caught Hao more than his hair did. They were a stunning green that simply complimented his skin. They were starring at the group above, fear in them, but Hao could tell that when not in a situation like this, they can be soft and joyful. 

It's true that Hao and his gang would torment all the new kids up here, but right now he just didn't feel like it. "Get up." Hao said to the boy again, this time offering his hand. But the boy did not take it. He simply gathered his belongings and ran for the staircase. Before the offenders could make their move, Hao held up his hand. "Let him go. He's seen his first day and might not want to come back." he said in a monotone voice.

Matilda laughed and turned to face the groups leader. "Just like so many before! And some of the ones that came back the next day either joined us or became drop-outs!" She said. Everyone agreed to this.

Hao stood starring at the spot where the boy disappeared. The bell pulled him out of his trance and he turned to face his friends. "Where is everyone else?"

They all lit up with hope as they edge on Hao to hang out with them. He agreed and they found the rest of the gang. Hao sent a text to Yoh saying he'd be home late and then turned off his cell phone. "That boy won't come back to school." Hao said under his breath, catching everyone's attention. "He'd be stupid if he did." Everyone agreed and laughed, making jokes about what they did and what they'll do if he comes back. Hao listened on a bit, but mostly, he couldn't get those green eyes out of his head.

Hao entered the front door well after one o'clock in the morning. He tried to be as quiet as he could be, knowing everyone was highly upset, but was sleeping now. He set his shoes at the entrance and made his way down the hall to his bedroom. Shutting the door and turning on the light he came face to face with his brother. He was startled at first, but then relaxed and moved on. "Go to your own room, Yoh." he said, waving his hand as he removed his school jacket and tie.

Yoh did not move. "Hao, where were you?" he asked, crossing his arms.

Hao removed his shirt and looked at his twin. "When, during school? I was there, just cutting class." He pressed his back against the wall and crossed his arms to match his brother.

"I know that. I know where you go. I just keep it from Anna. Where did you go afterwords?" Yoh said, pressing more into the subject that he really wanted an answer too.

They glared at each other for a moment. "That's none of your business." Hao answered, moving from the wall and grabbing his night clothes. Before he could make his way out of the room, Yoh grabbed his arm and pulled him way from the door.

Usually Yoh was not this upset, but he cared for his brother and he knew he was headed in the wrong direction. Yoh constantly wished something to happen, something to come along that would show Hao a better way to go about things. "You were with those 'friends' of yours again weren't you? Hao, those people are dangerous! They don't care to hurt others and they don't care about you. They are only going to lead you to trouble!" Yoh yelled.

Hao, feeling just as angry, yanked his arm away from this brothers grip. "You know nothing. I am one of those people, Yoh. Whether you like to believe it or not, I started that group, I run that group, I am that group. I will do what I want, with who I want! Now when I get back from the shower, I expect for you to be back in your own room!" he yelled, turning to the door and slamming it shut behind him. 

He felt lost as the cool water poured onto his face and he could tell Yoh felt the same way. That night neither of the twins could fall asleep even though another day of school awaited them in a few hours.


	2. Uneasy Thoughts

Yoh felt a bit uneasy as he slept, as though being watched. Surely enough, it was five in the morning and Anna made her way to his room to wake him for his morning exercises. She stared down at his sleeping form and thought for a quick second that she should leave him to sleep. Anna knew very well that Yoh waited up until his brother returned home after a night of mischief. 

But the thought was quickly pushed aside as Anna shook him awake. His eyes were burning when he sat up in bed and looked at the digital alarm clock radio on his nightstand. With a sigh he laid back down. "Anna, it's five! I fell asleep around three-thirty. Please just...five more hours." He said lazily. Yoh quickly began to fall back to sleep but was shaken awake again, this time with more force. Giving up, he sat on his bed before stretching and clumsily getting to his feet.

Anna stood by the door, arms crossed as she watched the boy try to keep his eyes open. Yoh was one who could sleep standing up if you let him. "It's unhealthy to get less than eight hours of sleep, but average to only get six. You got two, I'm disappointed." Anna said, keeping her gaze on the figure now standing in front of her.

Yoh leaned against the door next to Anna and managed a small smile. "Yeah, I know. But Hao got in around one. Then I just couldn't sleep...nor could he." He finished, gazing at Anna in hopes she would be understanding. Her gaze had not changed however and Yoh sighed, making his way out the door and down the hall to the restroom. "Let him sleep today, Anna. I don't think Hao wants to run this morning." Yoh said before entering the sanctuary of the restroom. Maybe he'd fall asleep for five minutes in the tub and Anna wouldn't know.

Completely ignoring Yoh's advice, Anna made her way in the opposite direction to Hao's room. She quietly opened the door and stood there for a moment. Her thoughts wondered to last night, how worried they all were when he did not return home. He deserved to be woken up and worked double time today. But Yoh had gone against it which meant they had argued last night. Maybe the run will help clear both their minds, so Anna made up hers and walked to Hao's side. She calmly shook him, but no game. 

Frustration took over her and she decided to stop being so nice this morning. "HAO!" she yelled. He shot up in bed and when he realized it was her he relaxed and lay back down. "Get up, it's five. Yoh's already in the bathroom." She said, turning to walk out of the room. To her surprise, the older twin did not protest or put up any fight. He simply slid out of bed and made his way down the hall to the bathroom, sitting outside to wait for Yoh to get out.

Because they started late, Anna yelled that they would have to run again in school during gym. Why did they do this? Just to keep in shape and train for any martial arts tournaments that their grandfather signed them up for without consulting them first. Anna didn't worry much about them keeping up with other people; her friends were strong, including Ren and Horokeu. They all made a good team. 

The miles seemed to stretch on forever this morning and soon enough both boys were beginning to jog along rather than run the miles. No words had been exchanged yet, nor had they given the time of day to look at one another. After another twenty minutes, they rounded the corner that led back to the house. Anna stood outside with a timer and clicked it off once they arrived. "Slow today. You better do better during gym. At this point Manta can outrun you with his short legs." She made her way back into the house where the smell of breakfast flowed.

After the boys showered and dressed in their school uniforms they sat at the breakfast table. Yoh quickly began filling his plate with pancakes, scrambled eggs, and maple sausages, drowning them in syrup. His mother took the syrup bottle out of his hands and shook her head. Hao on the other hand just sat at the table, arms crossed, as he waited for them to finish so they could head to school. He wished to go unnoticed, or at least no one would bring up the events of yesterday.

But with Yohmei as a grandfather, nothing goes unnoticed. Yohmei set his spoon down and folded his hands under his chin. He cleared his throat so he could get everyone's attention. "Well, since you decided to grace us with your presence, are you not even going to offer us an explanation?" he asked, his tone confirmed his anger. Hao did not answer or look at him as he sat there with his arms still crossed.

Yohmei shook his head before he continued, "At least give your parents an answer if not me. Or how about your brother who waited up for your return?" Still no answer, Yohmei’s patience was quickly depleting. "Do not ignore us Hao! Where were you? Since when do you think it is okay to come home well past reasonable hours?" Yohmei yelled. After a moment of silence and not receiving an answer to any question he picked up his spoon, shaking his head, and continued eating.

Hao sat there in silence, wishing more than ever to be out of the house and away from everyone. But he sat there waiting for his brother and Anna to finish. It seemed like forever when there was a sudden knock on the door. Hao bolted from his seat to answer, a good enough reason to step away from the table. He opened it to reveal a blue haired boy; whom Hao considered to be an idiot. "Oh, it's you. Where's Ren?" Hao asked.

"He's here. We've been waiting for you guy and-...what smells so good?" Horo exclaimed.

With a roll of his eyes Hao stepped aside. "Breakfast. Go get some if you want. Ren! Come on in!" He waited for both to step inside before he shut the door. "Take off your shoes or my mom and Anna will catch a fit." He waited and then led them to the kitchen. Everyone exchanged their welcomes and then everyone was seated at the table.

Yoh was exceptionally happy to have his friends over for breakfast. They ate and talked till there was no more food. Finally, they made their way outside and headed off to school.

Like every day, the classes were too boring to care about, so Hao made his way up to his roof escape earlier than he anticipated. The air was still warm with summer's heat, but by the end of the week it should be cooling down. Hao continued to ponder over his options of places to cut class. By far the roof was his favorite place. It let him breathe the Earth's air during school hours and catch some rays emitting from the sun. For sure he was a summer person and dreaded the upcoming cold days. He hated the snow and hated it even more when it turned to slush. 

So the roof could not remain his getaway during those times. The bathroom? No, everyone hides out in the bathroom. Any storage room would work, but they don't allow much access to a healthy air supply. So long as he remained hidden well on the last floor, he could roam around the halls. But this did not sit well; Hao liked to take naps during class hours without hearing the teacher nag and complain in his ear. The bell rang loud and Hao could hear the rustle of shoes on the marble floors below him. Lunch time. He didn't eat breakfast or anything yesterday, but even now his appetite was nowhere to be found. Maybe a fruit would suffice.

He waited until the halls cleared before making his way down to the second floor to his locker. After entering in the combination it popped open and his books were stuffed inside. Maybe he'll go to his next class. It is gym after all and it'd be good to run a few miles. He decided to stick around after lunch. Closing his locker, he noticed another student at there's obviously having trouble opening it. 

When Hao got closer, he noticed the green hair and recognized the face. "So, he did come back." Hao muttered under his breath. In truth, he didn't care if he did or didn't, but his crew sure did and he could only imagine what they were bound to do. Hao made his way closer to the boy and stopped a few steps away. "Need help?" he asked, very unsure as to why. Hao never cared to help people, but right now...he blamed it on boredom.

The boy turned to look at the source of the voice and took a few steps back when he recognized the face. He quickly shook his head and walked quickly away from Hao. With a shrug of his shoulders, Hao followed the boy to the lunchroom. After getting on the lunch line and grabbing a pizza and a cup of fruits he made his way over to the usual table. Everyone already sat there, deep in conversation. "Dude! His accent is funny!" Horo yelled, clearly enforcing his opinion on the matter.

Hao ignored them and pushed his tray to Yoh who thanked him and went back to the conversation. "Well, he's a transfer student from a different country. What do you expect?" Yoh asked.

"But why?" Horo asked in return.

Ren lost his patience and enforced his answer to Horo. "Because, you twit, they speak with that accent in London! That's that! Now move on!" He crossed his arms and turned away from his boyfriend who at the moment was just being air-headed.

Horo looked back and forth for a moment, before decided on asking for forgiveness from his grumpy boyfriend. Hao ran their conversation through his head a few times before stopping on the word London. "Wait, are you guys talking about that new transfer student with green hair?" he asked. Everyone turned to face him.

"Oh, dude when did you get here?" Horo asked. "So you know the guy?"

"No...not really." Hao answered, looking away from the group.

Yoh tapped him on the shoulder. "You and your crew didn't do anything did you? I didn't think you'd even know since you haven't been in class." Yoh said through a bite of his pizza.

Hao shook his head. "I didn't do anything. I didn't know of him until...I saw him and my group on the last floor." Everyone grew quiet and waited for the full explanation. "I didn't do anything. I offered to help him up and let him get away. I even offered to help him open his locker today." He answered quickly.

Everyone went back to their lunches and the rest of the period was quiet. When the bell rang, it was almost a relief. The group had the same class next, gym. While changing in the locker room, Hao just remembered he never ate the cup of fruits. A bit of regret overcame him. Now he'd have to work out on an empty stomach again. They all made their way to the gym and awaited the teacher when Yoh tapped Hao on the shoulder again. "Is that him?" Yoh asked, pointing across the gym.

Hao looked to where Yoh was pointed and spotted the green haired kid again. Slowly he nodded his head, and then quickly he scanned the gym of his group. He found them at the far end, also watching the kid. Yoh nodded his head and smiled. "I'll go talk to him!" he said. Hao shot a look at Yoh but his smile only grew. "It's okay Hao; I doubt he'll think I'm you. You never could have had the time to go and get a haircut! Actually...my hair is getting pretty long." Yoh said, laughing and measuring his hair as it already reached the end of his shoulder blades. With a shrug of his shoulders, he made his way across the gym.

Something deep down in Hao's mind hoped Yoh could make friends with the kid. For his safety of course. The kid needed to stop hanging around by himself. And maybe they could be friends as well, "Right?" Hao muttered under his breath and frowned at the thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapters to come will be longer!


	3. Encounter

With a smile on his face, Yoh made his way over to the transfer student that seemed to be the talked of the day. Manta trotted along by his side for support and to put a good word out there for Yoh, as any good friend would. They stood a few feet away from the student and Yoh held up his hand and waved. "Hi! I'm Yoh, and this is my friend Manta." Yoh said in his happy tone. Manta also waved at the boy who smiled in return. He wasn't any taller than Yoh, probably about the same size. Can't say the same for Manta, everyone was huge to him.

The boy waved in return and smiled. "Hi, my name is Lyserg. It's a pleasure to meet you." He said. This was the first time anyone has talked to him directly and actually been nice. Not like the other day when those kids confronted him nicely and then forced him to the last floor only to hurt him. There were four of them, and then that other kid came out of nowhere, obviously a friend of theirs. He saw that kid again today at his locker. "Wait, don't I know you?" he asked, a bit of an edge to his voice that he hoped the others did not hear.

Yoh's smile never left his face as he answered. "Nah, that's my twin brother that you've met. But trust me, we are nothing alike."

Manta jumped into the conversation, doing his job of putting in a good word for Yoh. "Well, they're alike, but they have certain different traits. For one, Yoh is a nice kid who loves to sleep and likes cheeseburgers. His brother on the other hand, well, I've been a bit lost with him lately." Manta finished, looking over his shoulder to see that Hao was watching them. He quickly turned back in hopes that he didn't know they were talking about him. "A-anyways, how long have you lived here?" he asked, changing the subject to a friendlier welcome.

They were all quiet for a moment as Lyserg contemplated in his head weather these guys were really asking him to be friendly or to be cruel like the others. It did not set so well with him that this guys twin’s friends were those that bullied him. What can he make of that? But surely enough, Lyserg began to ease up. Yoh and Manta kept warming smiles on their faces and they did not seem mean. "I've been in town for about a week now. My first day was yesterday, though it wasn't the greatest." He answered looking down.

"Well Lyserg," Yoh started, still in that happy tone, "a first day anywhere isn't good. But this is your second day and I think you're pretty cool. Come, I want to introduce you to some of my really good friends!" With that, he turned and started walking back to his group.

Manta stood there with Lyserg to assure him that it was okay, and that Yoh is super friendly like that with everyone. When they arrived at the group Hao kept his eyes averted. Of course, Yoh would not introduce him to the new acquaintance knowing their brief history. But one can ever be too sure with Yoh. 

First, Yoh introduced him to Ren who simply nodded a hello. Then he moved on to Anna who also nodded. Next, he approached Horo who stopped and pointed. "That's the kid with the accent!" he yelled. Manta quickly tried to hush him up and tried to cover up. But Lyserg simply laughed saying it was okay and how he was used to it. Last, Yoh moved on to introduce his brother, but he was no longer there.

Hao lay on the gym floor with his gang sitting around him. Everyone at this point was just waiting for the teacher's arrival. Talk continued of the new student and his shocking return. Hao came to think about the kid more often and now realized he didn't know his name. He'd find out from Yoh later, so that matter was taken care of. Boris continued to argue the fact that the kid was ‘asking for it’ and came up with ways to get him after school. The three girls would agree and then disagree on methods. 

The conversation grew boring and tiresome quickly. Hao found himself drifting off into another sleep. The sound of a whistle startled everyone as the gym teacher appeared from the double doors. She went off about how sorry she was for being late due to an injured student before the lunch period. Now they were to run the track in teams rather than play the scheduled game. No matter, Hao was hoping for the track. It was outside so he would be able to catch some air while running before returning to his roof next period to sleep.

The gym teacher ordered everyone to line against the wall as she paired them off. Of course she wouldn't let them choose their own teams, then they would never run the full track and would walk and talk the full mile. "Here's the objective! You run the track with your partner; you arrive back at the starting point, check in with me for your times, and then run it again. We will repeat this all through the class. Now..." she said before pairing people off. 

Of course, for her own amusement, she separated Ren and Horo knowing they will finish faster if paired with people that aren’t each other. "Usui! You're paired with Boris." She was quickly answered with complaints and refusal. "Either you run together or you take a zero!" she yelled at them.

"Ms. Nelson, I'll take a ZERO!" Horo yelled back.

Her face grew red and she pointed to the door. "RUN THE TRACK USUI!", and that was the end of the argument. The teacher always wins. But Horo didn't have to like it and he made sure she knew it. Once they were out the door she continued to pair people off. Yoh was paired off with Manta which was a relief for him because that meant he didn't have to run that fast. Ren was paired off with Matilda to his most disliking. Anna didn't have to run but was the scorekeeper and the list went on. "Asakura!" she yelled. "You're paired with Diethel!"

"Huh?" Yoh said, completely confused. "I thought I was paired with Manta!"

Ms. Nelson rolled her eyes and pointed. "Not you, Yoh! The other Asakura!" she pointed to Hao. "Let's go! Up and run!" she said, and then paired off the last few students.

Hao vowed to murder the gym teacher as he ran alongside Lyserg in silence. She must have known the tension between them, right? Lyserg also felt uneasy as he ran the mile. Though neither spoke to one another as they completed their first lap. When they were a quarter of the way done with the second lap, Hao began to slow down. Lyserg hadn't noticed at first, but then stopped and looked back at his gym partner. "What's wrong?" Lyserg asked, completely against himself to do so, but he did anyways.

Pointing back at the building Hao explained. "Once everyone finishes the first run the teacher doesn't care. It's okay now; you can slow down, so long as you keep a light jog." Hao brushed the sweat from his forehead, his bangs sticking to his skin in the heat. Rather than keep a light jog, or walk on the red track, he made his way to the middle where there was grass and lay down.

Lyserg stood there on the track, a bit puzzled. They only completed one mile and he could not finish the track without his partner or they'd both hear it from the teacher. But he did not want to spend any more time with this other male then he had to. He made his way over to where Hao lay and stood a few steps away. "Come on, I want to finish the track. Get this over and done with." He said, hands on his hips. However, Hao completely ignored him. "Hey, I can't cross that finish line without you." Lyserg pressed on more.

"Sit." Hao said as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the sun.

At first, Lyserg was taken back a bit, but after a quick glance around he did as he was told. If he had to admit, his lungs were stressing to get air in this heat. "Do you do this all the time?" he asked, unsure of what to say to the boy.

"Yes." Hao answered. "Even if we were to continue running it would not end our time together any sooner than laying here. We'd just work up a sweat." He explained in his calm voice. He knew very well that the kid did not trust him one bit, and he must admit that he feels a bit awkward knowing that. 

Hao never laid a finger on the kid. He offered to help him up when his friends were picking on him. He let him get away from their grasp. And today he offered to help him open his locker. "Did you ever open it?" he asked suddenly, opening his eyes and facing the boy. Lyserg looked up, confusion played across his eyes. Hao could not help but stare at his eyes, for they were a breathtaking green. "Your locker." He answered quickly.

"Oh...no." Lyserg answered, looking away.

"I'm Hao by the way."

"Lyserg."

They stood there in silence for a while. It was an awkward introduction. Hao couldn't help but feel bothered that Lyserg thought of him as a mean person and that he was laughing along with the crew that hurt him. He wanted to prove his innocence to the fellow classmate and move on. But how was he supposed to do that when the kid gave any moment to walk away from him? Ms. Nelson blew her whistle and everyone made their way back into the building for showers before class. Lyserg was out of Hao's sight before he got up from the ground.

0o0o0o

The last bell was heard from the rooftop and Hao gathered his belongings. He met up with Yoh and the group in front of his locker. They were about to head out to eat when Yoh said he'd be back. Anna's patience was gone after five minutes and she couldn't take Ren and Horo making out against the locker anymore. Screams were heard, but Hao paid no mind as he rested against the wall opposite of everyone, his eyes shut tight as he blocked out all sound around him. 

Manta stood by his side to be clear of Anna's anger. He spotted Yoh walking down the hall with their new friend and figured he went to invite him along for a cheeseburger. The thought made Manta smile and he motioned for everyone to get ready to leave. "Uh, Hao...are you still awake there buddy?" Manta asked, lightly pulling on Hao's sleeve.

With a yawn, he nodded and turned to his brother with a smile. "Ready yet?" He asked, but his smile quickly left when he noticed Lyserg standing with him.

Yoh gave a thumbs up and a smile. "Yeah! Let's go get some cheeseburgers with our new friend! I say we all go to CheeBurger! They have the best burgers." He said, throwing an arm over his twins shoulder and leading everyone outside the building.

Manta hurried along his side. "I thought we agreed at lunch that we were going to Johnny Rockets."

"Yes, Yoh, you can't keep changing it on us!" Ren yelled.

"Yeah but leave it up to you and we'd be going to a Chinese restaurant!" Horo protested.

"And if it were up to you we'd be stranded at some unknown shady backstreet vendor, so hush up!" Ren argued back.

Yoh simply laughed. "H-hey, come on guys. Let's let our new friend pick where to go." He turned to Lyserg and gave a reassuring smile.

Lyserg looked down to hide his light blush; he wasn't so comfortable with making decisions. "Um...that Johnny's place sounds good." Lyserg had never even heard of any of the places they had mentioned.

"Then Johnny Rocket it is!" Yoh said, leaning on his brother.

Hao said nothing the entire way.


	4. Lost: Part I

The gang sat at a round table that was able to seat them all and they hid their faces behind menus. Horo was in deep concentration as he mussed over the menu, deciding what to eat. Ren was the first to set his menu down and he waited patiently for the others to finish. Once everyone's menus were on the table in a neat stack the waiter made his way over to take their orders. It varied to different foods: Yoh was having three cheeseburgers, Anna ordered cheese fries, Horo went for the Philly cheese steak, Ren ordered a small tray of buffalo wings, Manta settled on a chicken sandwich as well as Lyserg, and Hao ordered nothing. Questions were soon thrown at Lyserg as everyone relaxed in their red cushioned chairs.

Horo was the first to question their new friend, mostly because he got a good laugh at the others accent. "So what made you leave your home?" he asked.

It took a moment for Lyserg to answer. He stared down at his hands and stood quiet, as though not even breathing. Yoh took notice in that matter. He figured it wasn't exactly an expected move and it was not planned in his heart to leave his home. "Aw, come on, Horo! Why did you leave your home to move here? Or you Ren?" Yoh smiled as they looked at him and he gave them a reassuring smile as he rested his chin in his palm. "People come together in the strangest ways, let's just be happy that Lyserg is here." He finished, hoping they would catch the hint.

"Yoh's right." Anna said, glancing at Lyserg who still stared at his hands. "Whatever the reason, this is the situation at hand. Let's just celebrate our new friend."

Lyserg looked up at everyone and smiled. "Thanks everyone. It's nice to be here, surrounded by you all." He said. He couldn't help but notice that although everyone seemed to be agreeing, Hao had not said anything yet, nor looked his way. Lyserg pondered over reasons as to why Hao might have such a dislike in him. Was it really because he came to school the next day? No one really had a choice in the matter. This is life and life expects you to fulfill your education! But he decided he would think this over later. For now, he made new friends who were already inviting him places to eat. Maybe school won't be like the first day. Yoh did say the first day is always bad anywhere new, but it's his second day and it seems to be going great.

The food arrived and everyone relished in the scent it gave off. Mouths watered and soon enough everyone was attacking their food. Anna calmly ate one fry at a time while Yoh was more than halfway through his first cheeseburger. Ren ate his wings pretty fast, but Horo only had half of his foot long Philly sandwich left. Lyserg smiled at everyone's calmness to eat around each other and he set off eating his chicken sandwich. It tasted better than he had imagined, but like anything that tasted this good he knew it was unhealthy. But for the moment, no one cared so neither did he. Manta took small bites and laughed when Horo spilled his soda. They were the loudest group at the restaurant, but no one cared.

They are friends.

Yoh pushed one of his cheeseburgers to his brother and smiled. "Eat." He said and started on his second one. When he noticed the delicious burger was back in front of him, he frowned and pushed it back to Hao. He leaned in close so no one would get into their conversation and edge his brother on. "Come on Hao, this is the second day in a row you haven't eaten. I'm starting to feel it man." He said, keeping his eyes on his brother's face, trying to read any response. But Hao simply pushed it back to him. Yoh sighed in defeat and looked at Anna hopeful. But Anna just looked away and continued on her fries.

Everyone's meals came to an end and Yoh ordered his last cheeseburger to be packaged to take home. Before leaving, they all ordered milkshakes and carried them out. Horo stretched and took a large gulp from his milkshake. "Ah! Chocolate milkshake! Nothing beats it!"

"Really? Because I'm fond of vanilla." Ren added, taking a sip of his own.

Yoh laughed and held up his cup. "Come on guys! Strawberry is the best!" This led to the biggest milkshake debate in the history of mankind. Yoh offered his cup to Hao who rejected it, receiving yet another frown from Yoh; he tightened his grip on his left-over's bag. He would have eaten this, but he decided to save it for Hao, a full cheeseburger. Maybe he would eat sometime later.

The sky grew dark and soon everyone was headed home. Lyserg thanked everyone and Yoh reassured him that tomorrow would be no different. They'd have to make room at their lunch table. Yoh, Hao, and Anna arrived home around eight o'clock and walked in to the aroma of dinner. Yoh's mouth began to water again as yet another meal awaited him. He threw his empty milkshake cup in the trash and sat down at the kitchen table where his mother was preparing dinner. "What smells so good mom?" he asked as he set the left-over's bag on the table.

His mother turned to him and frowned a bit. "You already ate?" she asked, walking away from the stove over to the table.

Yoh smiled sheepishly and nodded. "Yeah, but that was just a snack. And this is Hao's. I'll still eat dinner." He reassured her.

"But before dinner, it's training." Anna said from the kitchen entrance. "You ate a lot of junk today and it's time to burn those calories!"

A groan escaped Yoh's mouth, but he quickly covered up with a laugh. "And what about you? You ate cheese fries! French fries that were deep fried in oil." He pressed. Wrong move. Anna made her way across the kitchen and firmly grabbed Yoh's ear, pulling as she led him out of the kitchen. "Ow, ow, ow! Anna, I was just kidding! I swear!" he pleaded.

"We're having roasted chicken tonight! So hurry back dear!" Their mother called from the kitchen, a smile playing across her face as she went back to the stove.

Hao sat at the desk in his room, papers displayed all over the place. Old homework that he had to turn in to at least get a low passing grade in his class. But if he received a report card home that had all F's, he'd be in a shit load of trouble. There was a light knock on the door, but Hao ignored it. The source continued to knock and tried to open the door, but Hao had locked it not wanting to be bothered. "Delivery." The voice of his mother called out. "I'll just leave it here for you sweetheart. Dinner will be ready soon." She said, and then her footsteps receded to nothing.

Hao sat back in his chair. He looked from the papers in front of him to the door and back again. Nothing on these homework sheets made sense to him, so why should he bother? He needed a passing grade though, but a break wouldn't hurt. Setting his pen down he got up and made his way to the door. Unlocking the door, a bag sat right outside. It was the Johnny Rockets bag. Hao unconsciously moved his hand to his stomach which did not plead for the food. How could it not? He hadn't eaten anything for two days now; it didn't make sense. But still he felt no source of an appetite, so he took the bag and placed it back in the kitchen. He caught his mother's eyes as he put the bag in the refrigerator to keep it from spoiling. Yoh would enjoy that later when Anna is asleep. "Will you join us for dinner?" he heard his mother ask. He simply walked out of the kitchen and went back to his room, locking the door once more.

The papers were still on his desk as he lay on his bed, bringing his hand to his forehead. "What is wrong with me?" he asked, then shut off the lights and went to bed early.

School brought about no difference to anyone until lunch time when Lyserg sat with his new group of friends. Hao on the other hand went with his own group and ignored the eyes on his back as he sat there while his friends ate. "Welcome back." Boris said not sounding at all excited about his return. "So I guess you're thinking for yourself again?" he added.

"Come on! Leave him alone." Matilda regarded, her tone a bit worried.

Boris sighed and sat back in his chair. "Why? He abandoned us for a few weeks. It's nearly October and this is the first time he has sat with us since June. And then he thinks he has a place here? Ha!" Boris laughed.

Before anyone could say anything Hao helped up his hand and smiled, also laughing. "Oh Boris. You entertain me greatly. Me thinking I still have a spot at this table." Hao's smile grew bigger, but his tone deepened. "Let me remind you that I own this table. If it wasn't for me you'd be sitting at the garbage table with all the other misfits. I suggest you come down from whatever horse you rented, because it's overdue." Hao finished, never taking his eyes off the other male nor losing his smile.

The tension was high; everyone at the table was quiet. Boris looked as angry as ever and he packed his things and left the cafeteria. Hao's smile left as soon as Boris did and he looked to the others. "Does anyone else have anything to say to me?" When everyone shook their heads no, his smile returned. "Good." The bell gave out and everyone shuffled out except his group and the table that held his brother. "Ah, gym time. Come everyone." He ordered and they obeyed, leaving together as a group. They laughed down the hall as people squirmed to get out of their way and when one kid didn't make it in time, he came in contact with Hao's fist, and another kid was kicked in the stomach after he tripped onto his knees trying to clear the way.

At the beginning of the hall, Yoh stood with his group and his face furrowed in anger. "What's gotten into him?" he asked, more to himself than anything.

"I don't know dude, but your brother is going back to his jerk self." Horo answered to the best of his abilities.

Yoh stared down the hall and caught his brother's eyes when he turned around to look at his handy work. He gave Yoh a devious smile as he turned and rounded the corner with the rest of his group. It frustrated him to not understand what was going on. And it frustrated him more that Hao would not open up as a brother and talk to him. Did he not trust his own twin? That however, Yoh started to ponder over if maybe that was the other way around.


	5. Lost: Part II

Everyone was changing in the locker rooms and soon entered the gym. Hao and his group were nowhere to be seen, but Yoh's group mistake this for a good sign. Horo went on about how they don't have to deal with his anger and stubbornness. But Yoh felt uneasy not knowing where his brother was. The gym teacher wasn't there yet, so they had time to sit around and do nothing. Yoh took it as an opportunity to set out and look for his missing twin. He informed the others, got a few protest and rejections, but did it anyways. He left the gym and ran outside onto the field. No one. He ran back inside and began checking bathrooms, but when he realized half of Hao's group were girls, he figured the bathroom wasn't exactly a hiding place. He circled each floor, hoping they would be roaming but no luck. Then it hit him; he knew exactly where Hao was.

\--

Hao left his group as they left the building to cause chaos to the outer walls. Instead lay on the pebbled coated ground alone on the roof of the school. He stared up at the sky, watching the clouds drift on by without a care in the world. He thought about that kind of freedom. Not having to worry about people, not having to wear that stupid uniform every day, and not having to care. A life in which you can just relax and drift on by. Hao beckoned his mind to start separating feelings. With his crew he felt superior and powerful. They all feared him and he liked it that way. With Yoh and his group he felt...nothing and yet, everything. There were times when he had a laugh and then there were times he'd grow angry because of them. And then there were times like the past week where he felt nothing at all. He just walked with them, sat where they sat, and then went home. Nothing was making sense.

A noise indicated someone on the stairs and then saw the door swing open. He continued to lay there, not caring if he got caught by a teacher or someone with authority. He saw a figure emerge from the staircase and realized it was Yoh. Great. Without a care in the world, he looked back up to the sky to watch a large dark cloud fly overhead. The sun was gone and this disappointed him further. Yoh made his way over to Hao and stood above him, staring down and catching his breath. Hao smiled up at his brother and patted the space next to him. Yoh collapsed to the ground and lay by his side, looking up at the large dark cloud that seemed to have stopped moving directly about them. "Why aren't you in gym?" Hao asked.

Yoh continue to stare up at the sky and mimicked his brother's position, arms on back of his neck, relaxing into the pebbles. "Why aren't you?" he asked in return.

Hao sighed. "Don't answer my question with a question."

"Ok, I'm not in gym because I went looking for you. Why aren't you in gym?" Yoh answered.

There was silence for a moment then Hao simply said, "Because I'm here." More silence passed as they stared up at the non-changing sky. So much was being understood between the twins. Hao could sense the concern and anger coming from Yoh even though he held a smile on his face. He was worried and would stop at nothing to understand what was going on. Yoh could sense the emptiness Hao was feeling and knew he was confused and lost at his own actions. He didn't know what he wanted or what brought it about and it was driving him into a deep anger. Hao sat up then and looked over the edge of the building. "What's wrong with me Yoh?" he asked his voice showing traces of fear.

Yoh sat up and moved over to lean on the edge of the building, folding his arms on the edge and resting his chin on them. "I'm not so sure. But you might want to start eating. It's been three days." He said.

Hao looked at him and grinned. "Maybe if your appetite wasn't so big, you'd leave me just a little bit hungry." They shared a long laugh and then silence picked up again. "I don't know Yoh. I just haven't felt hungry." Yoh stood quiet and nodded, unsure of what to make of this. "Why does your friend hate me?" Hao asked before he could realize the words coming from his mouth.

Yoh continued to stare out as he answered. "You bullied him on his first day."

"No, I didn't. I helped him. I let him go." Hao answered, looking down at the pebbles.

"You might want to explain that to him." Yoh said, getting up from his seated position and holding out his hand. "Come on Hao, we have class."

A moment passed, but Hao took his brother's hand and they headed down the stairs and to the locker rooms so Hao could change. Yoh waited for him and they entered the gym together, getting a lecture from Ms. Nelson and forced to do pushups. Yoh accidentally got them several more pushups when he mentioned twenty being nothing thanks to Anna. So after a hundred pushups they stood up and walked over to where the rest of the group was. "Hiya guys!" Yoh waved. "What's going on today?" he asked.

"Basketball." Ren answered, crossing his arms and looking away angrily.

Yoh grew confused. "Aw, come on Ren, you love basketball, you're really good at it!"

Horo jumped into the conversation snickering. "Yeah, but he's too short to play!" He said followed by a round of laughter. "He has to sit with Manta and keep score!" he said with another laughing storm.

Ren grew angry, his spiked hair giving off a fume of anger. "Listen here Horohoro! I may not be able to play here, but I can kick your sorry ass anytime in a game of basketball!"

Horo tried to refrain from laughing as he answered back to Ren. "I-I know you can. But it's so f-funny that you're not allowed to play here cause you're so short!" and yet, another round of laughs. It ended with Ren storming away and Horo asking for forgiveness while still laughing.

Ms. Nelson then divided everyone into teams. Hao and Yoh were on the same team as well as Lyserg. Horo was on the opposite team with good buddy Chocolove. Hao tied up his hair, but began to feel lightheaded and swayed a bit. Yoh caught notice of this and rushed to his brother's side. "You okay Hao?" he asked, his voice full of worry.

"Yeah, sorry." He replied and finished tying his hair into a long ponytail. The game began and went nonstop for twenty minutes.

Chocolove stole the ball from a classmate and rushed it to the other side of the court passing it to another team member who scored. They shuffled around the court for the next scoring ball, but Yoh grabbed it and passed it to Lyserg who, to everyone's shock, scored a three pointer. Praise was being given to him by his team, and he was shocked to receive a pat on the shoulder by Hao as he ran passed. The game continued, the ball in Horo's hands and quickly taken by a student. It was passed to Yoh who passed it again to Lyserg who scored another three pointer. Students who were not playing on the field cheered and roared as the game went on. The ball went to Yoh again and he made to pass it to Hao, but stopped when he saw his brother on his knees clutching his stomach. His eyes widened in horror at the sight and dropped the ball where he stood, running over to his brother. "Hao! What's wrong? Hao!" he crouched by his side, placing a shaking hand on his brother back for support.

The game came to a halt as everyone made their way over to see what was going on. Not many cared, since not many liked Hao, but Yoh and his friends stepped close. Ms. Nelson pushed everyone aside and demanded everyone to sit. "What's wrong Asakura?" she asked, crouching down in front of him.

Yoh looked at her with pleading eyes. "We have to get him to the nurse, now!"

"Did he get hit with the ball?" she asked, lifting Hao's face to check for blood.

"No." Anna answered. "His body has no energy. He hasn't been eating. He over worked himself." She clarified.

The teacher nodded. "Well then sit him on the bleachers and I'll get him something to eat."

Hao grabbed Yoh's arm and squeezed tightly. Yoh looked at him, concerned, then looked back at the teacher. "That doesn't matter! He won't eat it anyways! We have to get him to the nurse! Lyserg, do you think you can help me?" he shouted across the gym. Lyserg did not move at first, but when he saw the shaken look on Yoh's face he rushed over to help him carry a now unconscious Hao to the nurse.


	6. Lost: Part III

Hao slowly fluttered his eyes open. He felt weak and tired. His eyes were welcomed by a soft light as he lay on a bed in a white room. The last thing he recalled was playing basketball in gym and then feeling a sudden pain in his stomach that brought him to his knees. Everything went blurry and his chest tightened. He felt Yoh by his side and grasped his arm tightly, then his grip loosened, and now he's here. The nurse's office seemed quiet except for a constant beeping sound that moved in a pattern. Hao looked to his side to see a monitor. He pondered over it for a moment, coming to realize that the school did not have monitors like that, nor would they have put a needle in his arm that connected to something on the other side of the bed. IV? He was in the hospital. Hao began to sit up but was gently pushed back down. He hadn't realized anyone else was there. Looking up he saw his twin's warm face, a slight smile playing across it in obvious relief. "Yoh, what are we doing here?" he asked, knowing the answer but couldn't come to terms that it led him to be hospitalized.

Yoh shook his head and sat down on the chair beside the bed. "I told you to eat. Turns out I wasn't paying close attention to realize you hadn't been drinking either. You hadn't even drunk water." His eyes closed for a moment and he rested his head against his hands. "You scared me, Hao." He said, his voice shaking.

Hao's heart sank deep within. He felt horrible. If Yoh felt like this, he can only imagine his mother, but he believed his connection with his twin was the most painful. He took his brother's hand in his and gave it a light squeezed which is all he could manage. "I'm sorry, Yoh. I'm so sorry. I'll get better, I promise. I'll eat three times a day and a fruit at the end." He tried to reassure his brother who looked at him, still sadness playing across his eyes. "You know, this reminds me of the time we went diving at grandpa's old house. We went to the waterfall and you slipped on a rock. I was so terrified you had gotten hurt, but it was a little scratch on your arm."

Yoh laughed. "Yeah, and I tried to clean the blood with a leaf that turned out to be poison ivy."

"I thought for sure they were going to cut off your arm. You had infected a little cut into this big hospital issue." Hao said, mustering a smile. "You were so sick then, a high fever and you wouldn't stop vomiting. I was scared. But we pulled through it together."

They sat there discussing old times when one would fall ill and the other would feel it. A knock on the door ended their conversation as Lyserg walked in cautiously. He was surprised to see that Hao was awake and a light blush formed on his cheeks. "Sorry, I didn't know you were talking." He said, looking down.

Yoh waved Lyserg over and got up from his seat. "Lyserg, can you watch him for a minute while I go get my parents and the gang."

Lyserg felt resistant at first, but he agreed to do his friend the favor. Yoh sat him down on the chair beside the bed and went to the door. "Be careful. He's never been the 'stay in bed' type. I'll be back in a bit. I'm sure everyone is at the cafe." With that he made his exit and the room grew quiet and cold.

Lyserg stared down at his hands while Hao watched him carefully. Maybe this was the time he should apologize; or rather inform him that he meant no harm on the others first day at school. He can't recall a time where he even laid a finger on Lyserg. Come to think of it, he never touched the other boy except for that brief pat on the shoulder during gym, but that was in praise and he was being a good sport to his team member. So he never actually harmed him in anyway. Hao gathered up his strength and began to sit up. Lyserg tensed up and watched him carefully in hopes he wasn't about to be stubborn and leave the bed, but Hao held up his hand. "I'm just going to sit." He said, but the simple task was harder than he thought. He tried to place his hand firmly on the bed and push himself up, but it turned into unsuccessful attempts.

Getting up from the seat, Lyserg slowly moved closer to the bed. "Here, let me help you." He waited until Hao nodded in approval and then he helped Hao into a seated position. Then he retreated to the chair looking back down at his hands.

Hao was slightly breathless from his attempts to sit up. There really was no energy in his body, but at least he managed to talk. As he sat he felt uncomfortable as he couldn't really manage to sit straight. He rightened himself up a few times before settling on resting back into a pillow to support his back. With a sigh he looked over to Lyserg who was fumbling with a lose thread on his shirt. Hao opened his mouth, then closed it. What was he supposed to say? Apologize? For what when he didn't do anything. "I'm sorry...you think I'm a bad guy." He said, then quickly looked away. How stupid did that sound?

Lyserg looked up at him and smiled a bit. "I don't think you're a bad guy. Yoh told me that you were trying to help me my first day, and that you let me get away when the others were going to chase me." He said, surprising Hao. They now looked at each other, probably the first time since their first not-so-great encounter. "And I'm sorry about the whole locker thing. I reacted with the first thing that came to mind and I didn't realize you were offering help." He finished, his smile still on his face.

Hao couldn't help but look away as blood rushed to his cheeks. Lyserg's smile was warming, but something about it made Hao feel awkward. He could feel his stomach turning and his adrenalin kick in. Hao stopped in mid-thought to realize that he just blushed. Taking a few deep breathes he turned back to Lyserg. "Did you ever open it?" he asked, feeling awkward as he did. He was having a normal conversation with this kid. When Lyserg shook his head no, Hao smiled. "I could help you tomorrow at school." He said. An offer to help is always a good start in kicking off a friendship.

The door opened and Yoh entered with his family and the rest of his friends. Keiko rushed over to the bed and pulled Hao into a breathtaking hug. She finally let go when Hao pleaded her for air, and she wiped a tear away that threatened to spill over. She smiled and then frowned, giving Hao a quick smack. "Don't ever scare me like that again!" she yelled, and this time many tears escaped her.

"Ow mom!" Hao yelled in protest, bringing his hand to his reddened cheek and rubbing the pain away. He then smiled up at her. "I'm really sorry mom...everyone. I made you all worried, but I'll get better, I promise."

"Damn rght you will." Anna said, moving over to the bed to give Hao a smack on his other cheek. "You had us all worried when you wouldn't respond in the nurse's office. Never thought I'd see you get rolled out of the school on a gurney and into an ambulance." She said.

"Again, ow!" Hao said, now rubbing his other cheek, a tear forming at his eye. "You hit a million times harder than my mom, Anna."

"Doesn't she?" Yoh yelled in agreement. Everyone broke into laughter as Yoh made his way over to Hao. "They want to keep you overnight for observation and to keep the IV going. Plus they want to get you to try and eat something." He said.

A frown formed on Hao's face and he shook his head. "No, I'm fine now. I'll just down some apple sauce and start from there. I know how to take care of myself." He protested.

"And that's why your here, right?" Horo said, smiling. "Come on dude, it's not that bad. Hospital food isn't the greatest, but it beats cafeteria food!"

Chocolove chuckled. "I think it's just as bad." He said and Ren agreed with him.

Yoh waved at them to be quiet. "Guys, you're not helping the situation at hand." He said, then turned back to his brother. "Come on Hao, they know the right amount of food to start you off with. And here you'll be in good hands incase anything bad happens." Yoh said, trying to encourage his brother to not make it harder for them.

Hao shook his head but his father stepped into the conversation. "You don't have a choice. Think of this as punishment." With that he turned and headed for the door. "Get better, son." He finished and left the room to wait for his wife. She gave Hao a quick kiss on the forehead before following her husband out. They will go and inform the grandparents that he was okay back at the house.

The gang stood for a while longer, all chatting about happily. Even Hao was engaging in the conversation and when he and Lyserg shared a laugh, Yoh smiled in approval. Horo's stomach declared they had been there long enough and it was time to go so everyone said their good-byes to Hao. He promised he'd be in school the next day, but no one counted on it and Yoh told him flat out that he knows he would not be there. He's never even in class so it didn't really matter. But as Hao lay back and shut off the light, he wanted more than anything to be at school tomorrow. He wanted to go to class, he wanted to go to lunch, and he wanted to hang out after school all to be with his new friend. Lyserg's smile still played in his mind and it refused to leave. But he did not mind it. It made him smile in return. Though he was confused as to why and he felt as lost as ever at this new found emotion. He didn't know the name to it, but it made his heart skip a beat. Maybe it was wise to stay the night in the hospital due to this new illness.

**Author's Note:**

> Chapters will be uploaded on a weekly basis. Please feel free to comment and let me know what you think!


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